KOF: Rise of the King of Fighters

Yan Yue did not tell Kusanagi Shizuka about Kusanagi Shizuru's disappearance because he was very worried about Kusanagi Shizuka's reaction after learning about it, fearing that she would fall into extreme anxiety and unease.

Furthermore, even if Kusanagi Shizuka were informed of this, it seemed unlikely to change the situation. Therefore, Engetsu decided to keep it from Kusanagi Shizuka and hurriedly rushed towards the training ground, hoping to inform Kusanagi Kyo of Kusanagi Shizuru's situation as soon as possible.

At that moment, Kyo Kusanagi was resting in a small house next to the training ground. Yan Yue sensed his presence, pushed open the door without hesitation, and shouted, "Kyo Kusanagi!"

Kyo Kusanagi was startled awake by Engetsu's sudden shout. His body reacted instinctively, and he slowly sat up. Suddenly realizing he wasn't at school, he rubbed his eyes in bewilderment.

"Who is it? Ugh, so annoying, it's a holiday today!" Kyo Kusanagi complained, shielding his eyes from the sunlight with his hand. His tone revealed a hint of impatience, but also a touch of laziness and relaxation. After all, it was a rare holiday, and he had hoped to enjoy his leisurely time.

However, when he saw the visitor's true face, his expression instantly turned to surprise.

The newcomer was Yan Yue. He removed his hat, revealing his face. A hint of doubt flashed in Kusanagi Kyo's eyes, but he quickly remembered this friend from China.

"Oh, it's Engetsu. Long time no see." Kyo Kusanagi's voice was filled with surprise. Although he was a little surprised, he was still happy to see Engetsu.

"I have something important to tell you!" Yan Yue's gaze was firm and focused.

Kyo Kusanagi frowned and asked curiously, "What's wrong? School's closed today, so let me rest for a bit." He yawned and stretched.

"Do you know your father has gone missing?" Yan Yue's voice was serious and anxious.

Upon hearing this, Kyo Kusanagi's face showed a hint of helplessness. He sighed and said, "My old man is often away from home, I'm used to it." After saying that, he lay back down on the bed, seemingly unconcerned about his father's disappearance.

“This time it’s different, your father has lost contact with everyone!” Yan Yue said with a frown, her tone tinged with worry.

"..." Kyo Kusanagi didn't answer; his eyes were half-closed, and he seemed to be almost asleep. Soon, the sound of soft snoring came from the room.

Yan Yue shook her head helplessly and sighed softly, "What a filial son."

Time passed by, and about an hour later, Kyo Kusanagi suddenly woke up from his sleep, sat up abruptly, and his eyes were filled with shock.

"What? Dad has lost contact with everyone!" Kyo Kusanagi stared wide-eyed at Engetsu, who had a serious expression on his face.

At this moment, Yan Yue sat cross-legged with her eyes closed to the side. "Your dad has a friend who is a special forces general. He told me this."

"What else did he say?" Kyo Kusanagi asked, puzzled.

"He said it seems to be related to the Orochi clan..." Then Yan Yue recounted everything she had learned from Heidern to Kyo Kusanagi.

Yan Yue continued, "I found your house earlier and ran into your mother, but I didn't tell her any of this."

"Oh, I see. Thank you, Engetsu." Kusanagi Kyo said gratefully. "Mom would be very anxious and sad if she knew."

“Kyo, I need you to tell me about what happened before your father left. Maybe there will be some clues.”

Kyo Kusanagi shook his head helplessly. "It's pretty much what you said. My dad did say that the Kusanagi sword was a bit strange, and then he passed it on to me. After that, he left and never came back. If you hadn't told me, I would have thought he went out to find other fighters to train and spar with.

"What about the Three Divine Artifacts and the legend of the Great Serpent?" Yan Yue frowned, still holding onto a sliver of hope.

"What I know is roughly the same as what you're saying," Kyo Kusanagi shrugged, indicating that his own knowledge was also limited.

"Can't you take a look at the family's secret manuals?"

"Um... I don't understand." Kyo Kusanagi scratched his head.

Yan Yue sighed helplessly. He realized that although Kusanagi Kyo was the heir of the Kusanagi family, he was not familiar with the family's history and details.

However, Yan Yue did not give up. He pondered quietly for a moment, and the scene of his encounter with Mature and Iori Yagami last night suddenly flashed into his mind. So, he asked again, "Kyo, did the Kusanagi sword show any unusual changes last night?"

"Huh? Yan Yue, how do you know?" Kusanagi Kyo's eyes widened in surprise. "The Kusanagi sword did show a slight disturbance last night, but it quickly calmed down."

"Sure enough."

"What exactly is going on?" Kyo Kusanagi asked impatiently.

“I just arrived at Osaka Castle last night and happened to meet a member of the Eight Orochi Clan near Kusanagi Castle,” Engetsu said slowly.

Kyo Kusanagi's expression also turned ugly. "What? Are you sure that's the Eight Orochi Warriors?"

"It's confirmed. You'll know when you meet the Eight Orochi Warriors. You should be able to sense it." Yan Yue remembered the way the Three Sacred Treasures were inherited. It seemed that the treasures were directly transferred into the body. Since Kyo Kusanagi already had the Kusanagi Sword inside him, Yan Yue deduced that Kyo Kusanagi should be able to sense the Orochi clan's aura through the Kusanagi Sword's abilities.

"It seems your father's disappearance really is related to the Orochi clan," Yan Yue muttered to herself, while Kusanagi Kyo beside her frowned deeply.

After all, Kyo Kusanagi is only a sixteen-year-old boy, and he must be under a lot of pressure facing such a sudden situation.

Yan Yue stepped forward, gently patted Kusanagi Kyo on the shoulder, and comforted him, "Don't worry too much. If even General Heidern can't find him, we don't need to have too much hope."

Kyo Kusanagi remained silent for a moment, then finally nodded helplessly. But he quickly rallied, a hint of anger in his eyes, and said, "Engetsu, didn't General Heidern say that my father's disappearance was related to the King of Fighters tournament?"

“Yes,” Yan Yue replied.

Kyo Kusanagi took a deep breath and said firmly, "In that case, they will definitely show up at the King of Fighters tournament!" After saying that, he clenched his fist tightly.

Yan Yue was also prepared for the worst. "Yes, that's what I think too. There's no use worrying. There are still three months left. Let's make the most of this time to get stronger."

"Yes, Yan Yue, thank you for telling me all this."

Yan Yue also sighed, "Alas, it's a pity I still couldn't be of much help."

……

Afterwards, Engetsu briefly exchanged information with Kyo Kusanagi and learned that Kyo already had partners like Benimaru Nikaido and Goro Daimon. Knowing that the members of the Japanese team were complete, Engetsu saw no need to stay any longer.

So, after having breakfast at Kusanagi Kyo's house that day, Yan Yue made an excuse to say goodbye to Kusanagi and his mother. Kusanagi Kyo originally wanted to invite Yan Yue to train together, but Yan Yue refused because she had more important things to do, which was to find a way to participate in the competition, but she knew that the Japanese team would definitely not go.

The problem now is how Yan Yue can participate in the King of Fighters tournament, because Yan Yue only remembers that the World King of Fighters Tournament requires a team of three, but he has no idea how to obtain the KOF invitation letter sent by Rugal.

Yan Yue fell into deep thought, recalling all the details he knew about the King of Fighters tournament. He thought of the strong fighters who had participated in the competition, all of whom had entered the stage based on their strength and reputation.

As for Yan Yue, he doesn't have any particular advantages. He's too low-key and has almost no reputation in the fighting world. His strength is decent, on par with Ryo Sakazaki and Terry Bogard, but it's uncertain whether he can beat Kyo Kusanagi.

Yan Yue pondered to herself, "Should I directly challenge other teams that have invitations and steal their qualification to participate?"

However, these ideas all carry certain risks and uncertainties. After all, the participants in the King of Fighters tournament are top fighters from all over the world, and defeating them is no easy feat. Moreover, inadvertently offending a powerful force could bring unnecessary trouble.

In the end, Yan Yue could only think of two solutions: either find Zhen Yuanzhai to infiltrate the superpowered warrior team, since they were all old acquaintances from China; or find Heidern to join the team, since she had the Ikari Warriors uniform and identification, and General Heidern had a lot of power, so it would be easier for him to help her secretly.

After much deliberation, Yan Yue went to a secluded spot, took out the phone Hadilen had given her, and dialed a number.